Starting mechanism for automobiles.



C. E. WILSON.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1915.

1,246,205. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Char/es E. Wf/50n.

/ ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. WILSON, OF WILKINSBURG. PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 13, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. \VILsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting Mechanisms for Automobiles. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to starting mechanisms for automobiles and particularly to such mechanisms as embody dynamo-electric machines having reciprocating parts for actuating pinions into and out of operative connection with the shafts of internal combustion engines.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicient arrangement, whereby an operating connection of a starting motor to the shaft of an internal combustion engine may be automatically effected upon the closing of a switch which controls the motor circuit.

It has been proposed, heretofore, to employ motors having displaced armatures which are reciprocated to effect the meshing of coacting gear wheels. Such motorspossess certain disadvantages, in that they require the use of complicated switching mechanisms and resistors to prevent rotation of the armature until the gear wheels are placed in mesh. This arrangement is necessary, because, in the displaced osition of the armature, the torque is sufiiciently highto rotate the armature at a comparatively high rate of speed before the gear wheels are completely meshed.

According to the present invention, I provide an electric motor in which the armature is longitudinally movable relatively to the field-magnet frame. The longitudinalpull exerted by the field-magnet poles on the armature, when the latter is in its displaced position, is supplemented by an electromagnet that is mounted within the motor casing in axial alinementwith the armature shaft and is connected in series relation with the motor windings. The electromagnet operates to assist in overcoming the inertia of the armature so that the latter may be shifted longitudinally to effect the meshing of the pinion with the fly wheel gear before the armature has attained such speed that meshirig of the gear teeth is rendered difficult.

The details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing. in which Figure l is a side view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a portion of an engine fly wheel, with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of circuits and apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1. an engine fly wheel 1. only a portion of which is shown, is provided with inclined gear teeth 2. An electric motor 3 comprises tield mugnetpoles 4, only one of which is shown. ries field magnet windings 5 and an armature 6 that is arranged for longitudinal movement in bearings 7. .\'spring 9, which is interposed between one end of the armature shaft 9 and an extended portion 10 of the motor casing. tends to maintain the armature in a displaced position relatively to the field-magnet frame, as illustrated. The commutator cylinder 11 isof such length that it is in engagement with coacting brushes .12 throughout the longitudinal movements of the armature. The armature shaft 9 is provided, at its outer end. with a pinion 13 which coacts with the gear teeth 2 to operatively connect the motor to the engine shaft.

The position of the motor armature. relatively to the field-magnet fame. is con trolled in accordance with the longitudinal pulls simultaneously exerted upon it by the field-magnet poles and an clcctromagnet 1+ that is located in the extended portion 10 of the motor casing and is in axial alinement with the armature shaft. The electromagnet 14; comprises a coil 16 that is in series with the motor windings. The inner-end portion of the armature shaft 9 constitutes the movable core member of the" electromagnet.

The electrical connections of the motor and the eleetromagnet are diagrannnaticull illustrated in Fig. l. The motor circuit comprises the armature winding, the series field-magnet winding 5, the coil 16 of the. electromagnet, a switch 17, which may be located at any convenient point. and a storage battery. The terminals of-the circuit are grounded, a single-wire system being employed.

Normally, the several parts are in their respective illustrated positions, with the pinion 13 out of engagement with the gear teeth 2. To start the engine, it is only necessary to close the switch 17 which controls the motor circuit. (urrent then flows from the ungrouuded side of the battery through the switch 1?, coil 16, series field-magnet winding 5 and the motor armature. 6 to ground, and thence back to the grounded side of the battery. The coil 16 and the series field magnet winding 5 are energized to actuate the armature 6 and the pinion 13 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, against the force of the. spring 8. Because of the combined forces of the electromagnet 14 and the field-magnet poles, the meshing of the pinion 13 with the gear teeth 2 will be effected almost immediately upon the closing of the switch. While the motor armature 6 will be rotated at an increasing speed because of the torque exerted by the field magnet poles, the torque does not reach a normal value until the armature reaches its central position. The speed of the pinion 13, at the instant of its initial engagement with the gear wheel 2, will not be. such as to materially interfere with the meshing of the coacting teeth. The fly wheel 1 is then rotated by the motor to crank the engine.

When the engine starts under its own power, the motor circuit may be broken at the switch 17. The coil 16 and the series field-magnet windings 5 are then deenergized. and the spring 8, which has been compressed, will return the armature 6 and the pinion 13 to their respective inoperative positions, with the pinion disengaged from the If the operator fails to open the motor circuit immediately upon the starting of the engine, the motor will be driven at a rapidly increasing speed. The counter electromotive force of the motor is thereby increased to reduce the current traversing its circuit to such value that the pulls exerted by the coils 16 and the field-magnet poles are less than the force'of the spring 8, whereupon the armature 6 is shifted to its normal position and the pinion 13 is disengaged from the gear teeth 2. It is obvious, therefore, that no damage may be caused by a failure, upon the part of the operator, to open the switch at the proper time.

It will be noted that I provide a simple arrangement, whereby the armature of an electric motor may be shifted from a displaced position to effect the engagement of coacting gear wheels before the armature has attained such speed as to interfere with the meshing operation. The operation is accomplished by the closing of a single switch, and the use of complicated switching mechanisms and resistors is avoided.

It is understood that many modifications may occur to those skilled in the art to which.

a field magnet my invention appertains, and such changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In astarting mechanism, the combination with an engine member, of a motor having a rotatable part that is longitudinally slidable relatively to a stationary part comprising a field-magnet yoke, a pinion on said rotatable part for coacting with said engine member, and additional electromagnetic means in axial alinement with said rotatable part for coacting with said fieldmagnet yoke to actuate said rotatable part longitudinally and thereby efiect the engagement of said pinion and said engine member.

2. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine member, of a motor having a stator and a rotor that is longitudinally movable relatively to the stator, a member connected to said rotor for coacting with said en ine member, and an electromagnet in axia alinement with said rotor and coacting with said stator to shift said rotor longitudinally and thereby effect th operative connection of said members.

3. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine member, a gear wheel connected thereto and a pinion for coacting therewith, of means for controlling the longitudinal position of said pinion, said means comprising an electric motor having a longitudinally movable armature and an electromagnet in alinement with said armature and cooperating with the stationary part of said motor to shift said armature longitudinally.

4. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a pair of relatively movable gear wheels, of means for effecting the meshing of said gear Wheels, said means comprising an electric motor having a field-magnet yoke and a longitudinally movable armature and an electromagnet having a coil in series relation with the motor and coacting with said field-magnet yoke to shift said armature longitudinally.

5. In a starting mechanism, the combination with a 'pair of coacting gear wheels, of means for shifting one of said gear wheels into and out of mesh with the other, said means comprising an electric motor having yoke and a longitudinally movable armature and an electromagnet in alinement with said armature and having a coil in series relation with the motor.

6. In a starting mechanism, the combination With a pair of coacting gear wheels, of means for actuating one of said gear wheels into and out of mesh with the other, said means comprising an electric motor having a longitudinally movable armature, a field-magnet yoke and a casing, and an electromagnet in said casing in axial alineinent with the armature and having a coil fore the motor attains a relatively high in series relation with the motor. speed.

7. In astarting mechanism, the combina- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 'tion with a pair of coacting gear Wheels and subscribed my name this 22nd day of March, 5 an electric motor having a longitudinally. 1915.

movable armature connected to one of said gear Wheels, of electromagnetic means for increasing the pull upon said armature rela- Witnesses: tively to the torque exerted upon it for in- Loms S. On, 10 suring the meshing of said gear wheels be- B. B. HINES.

CHARLES E. WILSON. 

